GRUB Hard disk Error

[fossildiver]

I installed Ubuntu 9.10 as the only system on a 37 GB HD. The install used all of the default settings. When I try to boot the machine, I get "Grub Hard Disk Error" I've tried every setting available in the BIOS for the boot HD, and nothing works. If I put in the Ubuntu CD, I can "boot from the first hard disk" with no problem, and the file system looks like it's all there.

What do I try?

[fossildiver]

I installed Ubuntu 9.10 as the only system on a 37 GB HD. The install used all of the default settings. When I try to boot the machine, I get "Grub Hard Disk Error" I've tried every setting available in the BIOS for the boot HD, and nothing works. If I put in the Ubuntu CD, I can "boot from the first hard disk" with no problem, and the file system looks like it's all there.

What do I try?

Here's some more information:

    Boot Info Script 0.55    dated February 15th, 2010                    

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

 => Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in 
    partition #1 for /boot/grub.

sda1: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  
    Operating System:  Ubuntu 9.10
    Boot files/dirs:   /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda2: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       Extended Partition
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  

sda5: _________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       swap
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ _____________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 37.0 GB, 37019566080 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4500 cylinders, total 72303840 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x94859485

Partition  Boot         Start           End          Size  Id System

/dev/sda1    *             63    69,224,084    69,224,022  83 Linux
/dev/sda2          69,224,085    72,292,499     3,068,415   5 Extended
/dev/sda5          69,224,148    72,292,499     3,068,352  82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: ____________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL                         

/dev/sda1        4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55   ext4                                     
/dev/sda5        e9031fe4-b406-4dcd-a663-94ac04e08e94   swap                                     

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev  output: ===========================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/sda1        /                        ext4       (rw,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/sr0         /media/cdrom0            iso9660    (ro,nosuid,nodev,utf8,user=al)


=========================== sda1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
  have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
  saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
  save_env saved_entry
  prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=640x480
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod vbe
  if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
    # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
    # understand terminal_output
    terminal gfxterm
  fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
    set quiet=1
    insmod ext2
    set root=(hd0,1)
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55
    linux    /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55 ro   quiet splash
    initrd    /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
    insmod ext2
    set root=(hd0,1)
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55
    linux    /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55 ro single 
    initrd    /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
    linux16    /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
    linux16    /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ ${timeout} != -1 ]; then
  if keystatus; then
    if keystatus --shift; then
      set timeout=-1
    else
      set timeout=0
    fi
  else
    if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
      set timeout=0
    fi
  fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

=============================== sda1/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=4aaddc12-120e-48d7-b224-533e0088dc55 /               ext4    errors=remount-ro 0       1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=e9031fe4-b406-4dcd-a663-94ac04e08e94 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

=================== sda1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


   6.0GB: boot/grub/core.img
   6.0GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
    .5GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
    .5GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
    .5GB: initrd.img
    .5GB: vmlinuz

[darkod]

During boot hit Shift to show you the grub menu, but you have to time it right, after BIOS finishes and before ubuntu starts loading.
In the menu highlight the ubuntu normal mode line, but don't hit Enter. Hit 'e' instead. That will show you the boot commands.
Delete the line starting with search....
Hit Ctrl + X to boot like that. If that helped see here to make it permanent:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawik...roblems:search

[fossildiver]

Thanks Darkod. I am not able to get the GRUB menu when it tries to boot from the HD. I can get it fine once I use the CD to boot from the hard drive, so I think maybe GRUB is not being found or loaded.

fossildiver

[darkod]

Usually you will not see grub menu because you have only one OS. In that case it boots ubuntu directly. With the new grub2 coming with 9.10, if you keep hitting the Shift key during the boot it will show you the menu. But you have to do that before it starts loading ubuntu. Try Esc too, but I'm sure I read somewhere it was the Shift key.

[fossildiver]

I've tried hitting shift or escape when it's time for the system to boot, and I don't get the menu. I've tried it with every boot device option available in the BIOS. When I hit shift when I'm using the CD to boot from the hard disk, I see the GRUB menu just fine.

The error message is always the same, no matter what boot device is specified in the BIOS: GRUB Hard Disk Error Boot Disk Failure.

[darkod]

Very strange. The results of the boot script clearly show Grub2 is installed on the MBR of the hdd.
The hdd seems to be working fine once you start from the cd. I have no idea really at the moment.

[fossildiver]

Thanks Darko, I'll keep at it and post if I find a fix.